“Student Baggage” is a photo and audio slideshow about what college students carry with them every day, both physically and emotionally.

The project includes portraits of students with their bags, along with close-up photos of the things inside them. Some of the items are everyday objects like laptops, notebooks, chargers, water bottles, or snacks, while others are more personal and reveal something deeper about the student carrying them.

Through these photos and interview clips, I wanted to tell stories about stress, identity, routines, homesickness, pressure, comfort, and the small things students rely on to get through college life.

I wanted the slideshow to feel personal and honest rather than overly polished. A lot of people pass each other every day on campus without really knowing what someone else might be going through, and this project was meant to slow that down and create more understanding between students.

The audio was especially important because it allowed students to explain their own stories in their own words instead of me speaking for them.

I chose to photograph students in places that felt natural to them, in this case, Josephine Felton’s apartment. I thought those locations would make the images feel more authentic and connected to everyday student life. I also focused a lot on detail shots of the items inside their bags because those objects often revealed the most about each person. Sometimes the smallest things ended up telling the biggest stories.

The order of the slideshow was intentional. I started with wider portraits to introduce each student before moving into closer images of the items inside their bags. I wanted viewers to first connect with the person and then slowly learn more about them through the objects they carried and the audio clips that played alongside the images. I kept the text pretty minimal because I wanted the photos and voices to do most of the storytelling.

Putting together the audio and images took some trial and error because I had to figure out pacing and transitions so everything flowed naturally.

One thing that worked really well was combining photography with audio. Hearing students explain why certain objects mattered to them made the project feel much more emotional and real. I also learned how important sequencing is in a slideshow because the order of images really changes how the audience experiences the story.

One challenge was deciding what to leave out. Some photos looked visually strong but did not add much to the overall story, and some interview clips were meaningful but too long for the pacing of the slideshow.

If I did this project again, I would spend more time experimenting with lighting and improving audio quality. I would also try to interview an even wider range of students to include more perspectives and experiences. Overall, this project taught me a lot about storytelling and how photos and sound can work together to create something more personal and impactful.